By laying naval mines on the roads leading to the nation’s Black naval ports, Russia, according to Britain, is planning to damage civilian cargo ships carrying Ukrainian grain.
The UK asserted that Russia wanted to secretly destroy the commercial ships utilizing Ukraine’s newly established humanitarian corridor rather than attack them directly with missiles, based on what it claimed was declassified intelligence.
The British Foreign Office stated that Russia would then try to blame Ukraine for the destruction of any shipping in an effort to avoid responsibility. The UK said it was going public to discourage Moscow from orchestrating the plan.
Since Russia withdrew from a year-long operation aimed to protect exports of food despite the two countries’ hostilities, merchant ships carrying grain for sale from Ukraine have been in danger.
In August, Kiev established a different humanitarian route that allows ships to pass via the maritime borders of Turkey, Bulgaria, and Romania before coming close to Ukraine, wherein they are vulnerable to Russian attack. Although a small number of vessels have utilized the route, safety issues still exist.
According to experts, Russia has the potential to use its three Kilo-class submersibles, each of which can carry 24 mines, to place naval mines close to Black naval ports like Odesa and Chornomorsk.
Ships carrying Ukrainian grain to important marketplaces in the Persian Gulf, east Africa, and elsewhere may refrain from doing so if they are concerned about being mined.
Although it accepts that danger from Russia remained “at the highest level,” Britain said it intended to collaborate with Ukraine and other nations to improve the security of merchant vessels using information and surveillance capabilities.
The UK claimed last month that Russia had attacked an Odesa-bound cargo ship with two Kalibr ballistic missiles in August. But Ukraine was able to shoot both of them down, which is another reason Moscow might have thought about switching up its strategy.
Since July, Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukraine’s ports and grain silos, destroying approximately 300,000 tonnes of grain, or enough, according to the UK Foreign Office, “to feed more than 1.3 million individuals for a year.”
Before the war, Ukraine was responsible for 8–10% of the world’s wheat exports as well as 10-12% of the exports of corn and barley.